What the knowledge base is
The knowledge base holds background information your Finn needs about your business: services, hours, policies, FAQs. During a call, Finn searches it for passages related to what the caller said and gives them to the Finn to answer from.
Everything in a Finn's knowledge base is available on every call that Finn handles. It isn't per-caller storage. Order status, balances and anything else that differs by caller belong in a live lookup instead: an API request tool in a call flow. See agents-tasks and tools-custom.
The knowledge base is configured in the dashboard only. The API doesn't expose it. See api-finns.
Where to add sources
Click Edit on the Finn's builder page and open Agent handbook → Knowledge base. There are three source types:
| Tab | What you add |
|---|---|
| Files | PDF, DOCX or TXT files. Drop them in or browse. |
| Website | A public URL. Click Import. |
| Text | Pasted text, such as a script, FAQ or policy. Click Add as document. |
When you build a Finn from a playbook, the Profile & knowledge tab of the setup has the same options: Upload file, Write or paste and Import from website.
Each source becomes a document in the Finn's knowledge base. While a source is processing, it shows a percentage; if it fails, it shows Failed with the reason. The builder's Agent handbook tab shows how many documents are attached.
Files
Use files that contain real text. If a PDF is a scan, run OCR on it before you upload.
Split content into focused files rather than one large document. A search for "refund policy" finds a short refund document more reliably than one section of a 200-page manual. Remove headers, footers and page numbers where you can.
Website import
Website import captures one page: the URL you enter. It doesn't follow links or crawl the rest of the site. The page is loaded in a browser first, so content rendered by JavaScript is included. The URL must be public; pages behind a login can't be imported.
To cover several pages, import each URL separately.
A website import is a snapshot of the page when you import it. Later changes to the page aren't picked up.
Pasted text
Use pasted text for short content that doesn't need its own file: FAQ answers, product descriptions, a current promotion. Each paste becomes a separate document.
Fixing bad answers
Wrong or vague answers usually trace back to the content, not the model.
- Vague answers to a specific question. Add a short document dedicated to that topic.
- Inconsistent answers across calls. Two sources say different things. Find the contradiction and reconcile it.
- Answers to questions you don't want answered. Limit scope in the prompt, not the knowledge base: "You only answer questions about scheduling. For anything else, offer to transfer to a person." The Scope boundaries toggle on the Agent handbook tab helps too. See agents-prompting and agents-guardrails.
What doesn't belong here
| Content | Use instead |
|---|---|
| Per-caller data, such as balances or order status | An API request tool in a call flow. See agents-tasks. |
| Sensitive data, such as government ID or card numbers | Nothing. Never put it in the knowledge base. |
| Content that changes constantly, such as live stock or pricing | An API request tool. |
Anything in the knowledge base can reach any caller who asks the right question. See compliance.
Testing
Ask questions your documents answer on a test call (Test → Phone call), using the wording your callers would use, not the wording in the document. See agents-testing.